Wake Forest rolls Rutgers in Gator Bowl
NO. 20 Wake Forest 38, Rutgers 10
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Sam Hartman threw three touchdown passes, two to tight end Brandon Chapman, and Wake Forest beat Rutgers in the Gator Bowl to reach 11 wins for the second time in program history.
Hartman completed 23 of 39 passes for 304 yards. He added 21 more yards rushing and pushed his touchdown total to 50 this season — 39 passing and 11 rushing. A.T. Perry caught 10 passes for 127 yards and a score.
The Demon Deacons (113) controlled the game from the start, scoring on their first three drives and opening a double-digit lead just before halftime. It played out about as expected given Rutgers (5-8) was a late replacement for No. 23 Texas A&M.
The Aggies pulled out because of a lack of available players due to injuries, opt-outs, transfers and COVID-19 issues. The NCAA gave Rutgers the first shot at filling the void because it had the highest Academic Progress Rate score of all the eligible 5-7 teams.
Rutgers coach Greg Schiano
hastily gathered his players from Christmas break and held two practices in a heated bubble before heading south. They got in two more in nearby Ponte Vedra Beach this week before taking the field.
SUN BOWL Central Michigan 24, Washington State 21
EL PASO, Texas — Lew Nichols III ran for 130 yards and a touchdown, leading late replacement Central Michigan past Washington State in the Sun Bowl.
The Chippewas (9-4) ended a five-game bowl losing streak with their fifth consecutive victory this season. When Boise State opted out of the Arizona Bowl because of COVID-19 issues, Central Michigan shifted about 300 miles east from Tucson, Arizona.
Miami skipped the Sun Bowl for COVID-19 reasons as well. Central Michigan stayed in Arizona before bussing to El Paso the day before the game.
It was the first bowl victory for the Chippewas since beating Western Kentucky in the 2012 Little Caesars Bowl.
Washington State (7-6) never could get its offense going in the first half, finishing with just 53 yards and trailing 21-0 at the break.